I've always had kind of a love hate relationship with Chinese historical BLs. Some are genuinely excellent, but then there are others that cram in so much plot that keeping track of all the layers of betrayal and scheming gets exhausting, and I end up checking out mentally. Part of the issue is also just how much content is out there in this space, so something really has to stand out to keep me hooked. In this case, the production value is genuinely impressive, top tier stuff, but story wise, I just couldn't bring myself to actually care about these characters. There's a ton of political scheming and backstage manipulation running throughout. Somewhere in the middle of all that chaos, a hostage ends up falling for his own Prince Charming. The show runs eight episodes, each around 50 to 60 minutes long. After spending three years guarding the border, Fifth Prince Yin Qi gets called back to the capital because of a secret letter, only to end up walking straight into a deadly...
This film is an escape to a time lost forever. A film about life, misery, love, happiness, achievement, sex and about understanding. This film takes you into the lives of young teenage kids in a boarding school and their everyday lives and mischiefs and their daily dealings with their situations. It is wrong to put this film as a gay cinema because although it does explore homosexuality in growing teens with sensitivity, it is just another aspect of the film. That itself does not make the film.Bo is a 15 year-old boy who finds himself smitten with Kim, who is younger and extremely handsome. Bo lives in boarding school with some other friends who all have some or the other individual stories going for them. Kim more than reciprocates Bo's interest and they eventually end up becoming good friends. Kim is the son of school principal. Aske puts the educational system in the limelight and leads the rest to discover why young people can think and do. Bo is a good friend who will always standup for his friends and their well-being. Kin enjoys small thing in life an dis generally a very happy boy. And finally we have Ole, who with his bully ways, he mends his life and comes to terms with the world.
The film portrays the boarding school atmosphere nicely. I felt that there were too many simultaneous stories going around in the film and it was very hard to focus on any one of them in particular. It was never explained why the town farmer boys did not like Bo and why were they always after harassing him. In the finale, as part of the class project to film 'Love thy neighbor', it is a beautifully wrought scene of Bo and Kim embracing and kissing in one of the more honest and sensitive moments on film. It is this scene that tells the viewers that you are not alone. The film was strictly ok for me. and by the way, what's up with all the weird hair that boys had in the film. Was late 70's so bad in fashion? It all looked like girls hairs. lol..
Although the characters were joy and natural, the fact that the story did not have anything concrete and comprehensive to offer slides its rating down. (4/10)
Comments
One scene in the film I will never forget, and that was when the precious beautiful blond boy was playing the piano and the older boy came in and stood there listening to and watching him. When the blond boy realized that someone was there, he turned and looked at him with such a huge, enthusiastic, loving smile. I had NEVER seen anything like that in a film before, a boy's obvious love for and attraction to another boy. I hoped that someday somebody would look at ME with that same kind of love. Alas, it never happened, and now I don't expect it ever will.